Eklutna Dam
Defunct hydroelectric dam
About the Project
Eklutna Dam—located in a narrow canyon about 25 miles northwest of Anchorage, Alaska near the Native Village of Eklutna—was built in the late 1920’s as part of the state’s first hydroelectric project. The project was decommissioned in the 1950’s after sediment filled the reservoir, and dam maintenance ceased.
The Eklutna Dena’ina people built their village at the mouth of the Eklutna River, which empties into the Knik Arm of the Cook Inlet and once hosted prolific salmon. For decades, however, the 70 foot- high Eklutna Dam blocked salmon runs for five species of Pacific salmon (king, sockeye, silver, pink, and chum), degraded habitat, and led to a fisheries decline throughout the Eklutna River system.
The Eklutna Dam was removed in 2018. Removal of this dam, located on lands owned by Eklutna, Inc., an Alaskan regional native corporation, is the first step towards restoring river functions and traditional practices in the Native Village of Eklutna. Just upstream of the dam site lies Eklutna Lake, from which two hydropower facilities divert water for energy, releasing little water into the river. The next phase of the project focuses on implementation of fish mitigation measures required under a regulatory agreement with the hydropower companies to ensure water is released from Eklutna Lake in amounts sufficient to sustain healthy fish populations.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
RESOURCES
OUTCOMES
- Restore fish passage to a seven-mile reach of the Eklutna River
- Improve spawning habitat in the lower Eklutna River for five species of salmon and Dolly Varden trout
- Re-establish natural river functions in the lower Eklutna River
- Re-establish habitat connectivity for fish and wildlife on the lower Eklutna River
- Restore traditional cultural practices for the Native Village of Eklutna
- Provide significant economic benefits for Native Alaskans, including more than 30 jobs in construction, research, and project management through Eklutna Construction and Maintenance, LLC, which is an affiliate of Eklutna, Inc. and handled dam deconstruction
Videos
Project News
Project Partners
Eklutna, Inc.
Native Village of Eklutna
Trout Unlimited
Municipality of Anchorage
The Conservation Fund
Eklutna Construction and Maintenance, LLC
Murdock Charitable Trust
Rasmuson Foundation
Eklutna River Restoration Coalition
Alaskanist Stories
Alaska Center Education Fund
State of Alaska
U.S. Army Corp of Engineers